Liverpool on Tuesday seized the initiative against RB Leipzig in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 clash by cruising to a 2-0 win in a chilly Budapest.
Clinical second-half strikes from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, courtesy of dreadful defensive errors, proved decisive. The loss leaves the German side facing a formidable task in the return leg at Anfield on March 10.
The win moves Juergen Klopp’s men to the brink of the Champions League quarter-finals and also ends a run of three consecutive defeats, which has left the English champions 13 points behind leaders Manchester City in the Premier League.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The first leg was moved from Leipzig to the Hungarian capital due to Germany’s strict COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Despite the enforced move, Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann’s side started briskly and almost went ahead on four minutes.
Leftback Angelino teed up fellow Spaniard Dani Olmo for a close-range diving header past Alisson, but the effort only rattled the post.
Soon afterward, Angelino again exploited space on the left, but his left-footed volley skewed harmlessly across the goalmouth.
However, it was Liverpool, attempting to reverse their slump and badly in need of a Champions League lift, who gradually created more chances, often benefitting from loose defending.
First, Salah forced a block from Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi on the quarter hour.
Ten minutes later, Mane, outjumping Nordi Mukiele, headed a Firmino cross just over the crossbar, after the Brazilian striker and Salah had combined well on the right.
Shortly before halftime, Andy Robertson shaved the crossbar when his lob from a distance almost caught out Gulacsi dashing back after making a clearance outside his box.
Although Leipzig perked up on the restart with Alisson Becker saving from Christopher Nkunku, the German side were made to pay for two calamitous mistakes early in the second half.
In the 53rd minute, Salah pounced on a sloppy back-pass by Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer and ran unchallenged to slot past Gulacsi.
Five minutes later, Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead in similar fashion, smartly finishing after Mukiele had scuffed a clearance.
With Swedish playmaker Emil Forsberg sidelined by a knee injury and lacking a talismanic goalscorer, Leipzig looked unlikely to pull one back.
Instead, Liverpool cruised to victory, keeping alive their hopes of silverware via Champions League glory this season.
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS